Josephine Hodges’ Blue Moon Rising Standardbred Breeding Farm, a member of DAR’s safety net farm system, has recently taken on an eight-year-old broodmare now named Justice -- her working name was Star Shooter
. She had fallen on hard times. She found herself heading for the auction block at New Holland, Pennsylvania, as she was no longer anyone’s star. The people she knew and loved had turned their back on the mare.
To make matters worse, Justice is pregnant with baby and is due sometime in the spring. Fortunately, Anouk Busch of Horse Rescue United (HRU) was at New Holland that day and she purchased Justice directly from an Amish man before she had a chance of being auctioned off at meat prices. HRU took her in, had her seen be a vet, and got her caught up on her shots. During her 30-day quarantine, Justice put on much needed weight, but a place for Justice to have her foal was still needed, as HRU did not have the facilities for birthing a foal. They would not try to put her in a 'forever' home until the foal was born and given a few months to grow and be weaned.
The answer to the problem was the DAR Safety net farm system, so now Justice will be able to have her foal, Blue Moon, at a safe breeding farm getting the attention and love that she needs. After the foal reaches a few months old, Justice and her foal will then return to HRU to be weaned and then the two will begin their search for their forever home -- likely going to separate homes.
You may ask how Justice feels about all that’s happened. She tells all of us 'thanks' by her gentle nuzzles and her gentle nature, as we don’t even have to put a halter on her as she may be led around with just a rope around her neck. She's always at the gate when you come for her.
This was all made possible by volunteers and donations by horse lovers and industry participants thru HRU, Dignity After Racing’s safety net system, and Blue Moon Breeding Farm. Justice and her unnamed foal say thanks for caring when no one else did. If any qualified forever home offers are out there, please contact Dignity After Racing or Horse Rescue United on Facebook.
(DAR)